Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Articles

Vascular complications of diabetes: natural history and corresponding risks of dementia in a national cohort of adults with diabetes

This study aimed to determine the trajectory of diabetic vascular diseases and to investigate the association between vascular diseases and dementia. We included adults aged ≥ 50years with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (n = 173,118) from 2001 to 2005 who were followed-up until December 31, 2013 in the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Multivariable Cox regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence limits (CLs) for all-cause dementia in relation to the number, types, and occurrence patterns of vascular disease. Within 1year of diabetes diagnosis, 26.3% of adults developed their first vascular disease. During the 1,864,279 person-years offollow-up, 17,426 adults had all-cause dementia, corresponding to an incidence of 97.9 cases/10,000 person-years in 127,718 adults with at least one vascular disease and 67.5 cases/10,000 person-years in 45,400 adults without vascular diseases. Across all age groups, adults who subsequently developed a vascular disease in two one-year windows since diabetes diagnosis had the highest incidence of all-cause dementia. In comparison with adults without vascular diseases, HR for all-cause dementia was 1.99 (CL: 1.92-2.07) for those with one vascular disease only; 2.04 (CL: 1.98-2.13) for two or more vascular diseases; 3.56 (CL: 3.44-3.70) for stroke only; and 2.06 (CL: 1.99-2.14) for neuropathy alone. Similar associations were also observed with a smaller magnitude for adults with nephropathy, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, or peripheral arterial disease. Patients with diabetes-related complications, particularly stroke and neuropathy, and those with rapidly developed vascular diseases appeared to have a high risk of dementia.

Metformin Use Is Associated With a Lower Incidence of Hospitalization for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: The effect of metformin on the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) requires confirmation. This retrospective cohort study compared the incidence of hospitalization for AF in ever and never users of metformin.Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999–2005 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. Analyses were conducted in both an unmatched cohort of 173,398 ever users and 21,666 never users and in a propensity score-matched cohort of 21,662 pairs of ever and never users. They were free from a diagnosis of AF before January 1, 2006 and were followed up until December 31, 2011. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score.Results: A total of 303 ever users and 86 never users in the unmatched cohort and 56 ever users and 86 never users in the matched cohort developed hospitalization for AF during follow-up. The respective incidence rates were 37.72 and 92.45 per 100,000 person-years in the unmatched cohort and were 56.98 and 92.46 per 100,000 person-years in the matched cohort. The hazard ratio for ever vs. never users was 0.405 (95% confidence interval: 0.319–0.515) in the unmatched cohort and 0.617 (0.441–0.864) in the matched cohort. Hazard ratios for the tertiles of cumulative duration of metformin therapy vs. never users showed a dose-response effect. The findings were consistent in sensitivity analyses.Conclusion: Metformin use is associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for AF in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Association between nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy for hepatitis B and Sjögren’s syndrome: 15‐year analysis of the national database of Taiwan

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been proposed to play a role in the development of Sjögren's syndrome. However, to date, there are no reports on the risk of SS in HBV-infected patients following nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy. Due to Taiwan has higher prevalence of HBV infection and therapy was well recorded in the Taiwan's single-payer national health insurance database, we hypothesized that a long-term retrospective analysis of the risk of Sjögren's syndrome in HBV-infected patients following nucleotide therapy will increase our understanding of Sjögren's syndrome development following HBV infection. We identified 26,147 adults diagnosed with HBV infection between 1997 and 2012 in claims data. Finally, a total of 3268 HBV-infected patients who ever received nucleotide therapy (treated cohort) were frequency-matched on age and sex at 1:4 ratios to select a control group of 13,072 counterparts without therapy (untreated cohort). To identify Sjögren's syndrome risk, competing risk analysis adjusted for all covariates was performed. The risk was significantly lower in the treated cohort (15-year cumulative incidence, 2.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4%-3.7%) than in the untreated cohort (7.1%; 95% CI, 2.5%-15.2%) (p=.015), and the adjusted HR was 0.6 (95% CI, 0.41-0.88; p=.009). Multivariable stratified analysis further verified the consistent associations between nucleoside therapy and risk reduction of Sjögren's syndrome across all strata. Our finding suggests that HBV infection treated with nucleotides is associated with lower risk of Sjögren's syndrome, implying a potential role of HBV infection in the development of Sjögren's syndrome.

Hydronephrosis in patients with cervical cancer is an indicator of poor outcome: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study.

Cervical cancer is a common malignancy in women. The presence of hydronephrosis in patients with cervical cancer can be a challenging clinical problem. The appropriate management of these patients and the prediction of their outcomes are concerns among gynecologists, urologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and nephrologists. We enrolled a total of 2225 patients with cervical cancer over a 12-year period from the nationwide database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Bureau. Among them, 445 patients had concomitant hydronephrosis. The remaining 1780 patients without hydronephrosis were randomly enrolled as a control group for the analysis of associated factors. The results indicated that the proportions of patients with hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes were significantly higher in the hydronephrosis group. The hydronephrosis group showed a higher all-cause mortality than the non-hydronephrosis group (adjusted hazard ratio 3.05, 95% confidence interval 2.24–4.15, P < .001). The rates of nephrectomy and stone disease were also significantly higher in the hydronephrosis group. A higher percentage of other cancers was also observed in the hydronephrosis group than in the non-hydronephrosis group (12.36% vs 8.99%, respectively). This study shows that cervical cancer with hydronephrosis may have a higher morbidity and mortality than cervical cancer without hydronephrosis. Other factors such as human papilloma virus vaccination, smoking, and cancer staging need to be further studied.

Exploring prior diseases associated with pancreatic cancer

Background Pancreatic cancer (PC) is among the most deadly forms of cancer; however, the risk factors of PC have yet to be sufficiently identified. In the present study, we sought to screen all prior diseases associated with PC incidence concurrently and construct pathways for the diseases. Materials and methods This total population-based case–control study used data collected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database for the period covering 1997–2013. The case group included 3726 patients newly diagnosed with PC, who were precisely matched to 3726 controls based on gender, age, residence, and insurance premiums. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression was used to screen previous diseases in windows of 1, 2 …, 9 years prior to the first diagnosis of PC. Path analysis was used to construct the pathways between relevant prior diseases and PC. Results Within 1 year prior to PC diagnosis, a total of 11 diseases were significantly correlated with PC, included 9 positive and 2 negative associations. Path analysis identified diabetes, pancreatitis as diseases with direct positive pathways to PC incidence, and dementia with direct negative pathways. Conclusions It appears that diabetes, peptic ulcer, and digestive conditions were the prior diseases associated with PC incidence.

Trends in coagulation factor replacement therapy and medical costs in patients with haemophilia in Taiwan: A population-based, 15-year analysis.

Taiwan's National Health Insurance Program approved reimbursement of prophylactic coagulation factor replacement therapy (CFRT) for patients with haemophilia (PWH) in 2014. To examine 15-year trends and the impact of reimbursement for prophylactic CFRT on its utilization and related medical costs for PWH. We analysed Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database from 2003 to 2017. We included patients with haemophilia A (PWHA) or B (PWHB) receiving coagulating factor. Female patients were excluded because of small sample size. We analysed annual consumption of CFRT units and medical costs. High proportion of days covered (PDC) with CFRT served as an indicator for prophylactic treatment since it reflects routine use of CFRT. We applied interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) to evaluate the impact of reimbursement for prophylactic CFRT on usage patterns and medical costs. We included 896 male PWHA and 181 male PWHB, with 38.1% and 37.0% aged under 18years, respectively. By ITSA, we found the trends in coagulation factor consumption and PDC significantly increased after reimbursement for prophylactic CFRT in both PWHA and PWHB (p values for trend change <0.05). The overall medical costs per patient increased with increasing consumption of coagulation factor; however, ITSA revealed non-CFRT cost decreased after reimbursement of prophylactic CFRT for both PWHA and PWHB (p values <.05). Reimbursement for prophylactic CFRT facilitated growth in rates of prophylactic CFRT and increased related costs, but curbed rising non-CFRT costs. These findings provide strong grounds for future cost-effectiveness studies to leverage prophylactic CFRT for its therapeutic benefits.

The recent new findings of periodontal systemic connection from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database

The recent new findings of periodontal systemic connection from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database

Emergency room visits for childhood atopic dermatitis are associated with floods?

Floods are known to increase the level of allergens such as molds in the environments. Under climate change, the frequency of floods could be increased, which highlights the importance of understanding the impacts of floods on atopic diseases. However, there was a lack of studies. This study examines whether floods induce attacks of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD). A retrospective population-based study was conducted in Taiwan Island using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Emergency room (ER) visits for AD were identified among children aged 0–12 years. Weekly data of flood occurrence, number of flood sites, temperature, and air pollution were obtained for each township of the identified cases. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used. The relationship between ER visits for AD and floods was assessed by conditional logistic regression, adjusting for weekly mean temperature, PM2.5 and NO2. There were a total of 55,488 ER visits due to AD during the study period. Such visits increased when flood occurred, and then declined. The effects of floods at the week of flood remained robust, with OR of 1.14 (95% CI = 1.01–1.28) for flood occurrence and 1.31 (95% CI = 1.10–1.55) for the number of flood sites, after adjusting for covariates. Such effects were slightly higher in boys and children aged 1–12 years. This study demonstrated the impact of floods on flare-up of childhood AD, and the effect was most prominently at the week of flood. Healthcare workers should be alarmed for potential increase of AD flare ups after flood events.

The epidemiological profile of chronic hepatitis C with advanced hepatic fibrosis regarding virus genotype in Taiwan: A nationwide study

This study aims at investigating the epidemiological profile of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype in Taiwan. A total of 29,087 CHC patients with advanced fibrosis who received direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy under Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) during 2017-2018 were recruited. The HCV genotype distribution and its association with patients' demographic factors including age, gender, and geographical areas were examined. The most common genotypes were 1b (59.5%) and 2 (30.1%) with characteristics of older age (mean±standard deviation (SD): 66.5±10.7 years and 67.3±10.9 years) and female gender predominant (57.1% and 59.4%), which were associated with iatrogenic infection decades ago. Most of patients with genotype 1a (5.9%) and 6 (3.7%) infection were relatively younger (59.2±12.0 years and 60.0±13.8 years) and male gender predominant (59.1% and 61.1%), except Liujia and Liuying districts in southern Taiwan. The youngest group (53.2±11.8 years) and most male gender predominant (74.3%) was genotype 3 (0.37%). These genotypes with characteristics of being younger and male gender predominant were highly related to injection drug use in recent years. The number of genotype 4 patients were extremely rare (n=25) and efficacy of genotype-4-specific-DAA was significantly poorer than non-genotype-4-specific DAA (P value=0.0411). The significant differences in demographic characteristics among CHC patients with different HCV genotypes found in this study suggest HCV genotype was highly associated with transmission pattern and may be used as a reference for HCV control.

Lower Risk of Burn Injury in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Little research has examined burn injury in the pediatric population with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 15,844 participants aged <18years with ASD and 130,860 participants without ASD. Our results revealed that the hazard ratios differed across three age ranges. The ASD group had a lower risk of burn injury than the non-ASD group when they were less than 6years of age, a higher risk from 6years to 12years of age, and no difference when they were older than 12years of age. More research is required to study the characteristics and causes of burn injury in the pediatric population with ASD.

The occurrence of delayed neuropsychologic sequelae in acute carbon monoxide poisoning patients after treatment with hyperbaric or normobaric oxygen therapy.

This study aimed at assessing which one of the 2 therapies is better for treating carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from the perspective of reducing delayed neuropsychologic sequelae (DNS).We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to conduct a nationwide population-based cohort study to assess which therapy is better for CO poisoning patients. To accurately identify patients with DNS, the definition of DNS is included neurological sequelae, and cognitive and psychological sequele. The independent variable was therapy and the dependent variable was DNS occurred within 1 year after discharge from a medical institution. The control variables were age, gender, the severity of CO poisoning, and comorbidities present before CO poisoning admission.The risk of developing DNS in patients treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) was 1.87-fold (P < .001) than normobaric oxygen (NBO) therapy. The severity of CO poisoning and comorbidities were also found to have significant influences on the risk of developing DNS.HBO may be a risk therapy for treating CO poisoning.

Association Between Use of Anti-gout Preparations and Dementia: Nested Case-Control Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objectives: Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis and was found to be independently associated with incident dementia in the elderly. However, the associations between anti-gout preparations and dementia were not well-studied.Methods: Data were collected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). A 2005–2013 retrospective cohort study was conducted, and all investigated subjects were identified by International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the odds ratio of dementia in relation to different gout preparations (benzbromarone, allopurinol, sulfinpyrazone, probenecid) and number of days of anti-gout preparation use, after adjustment for potential confounding variables.Results: A total of 3,242 gout patients with and without dementia were selected from the NHIRD and included in the final analysis after 1:1 matching for age, gender, and diagnosis year of gout. In the anti-gout preparations, only use of Benzbromarone decreased the risk of dementia (adjusted OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68–0.97). The result of the subgroup analysis revealed a trend toward a lower risk of dementia with longer use of benzbromarone. Use of benzbromarone for ≥180 days showed a significantly lower risk of dementia (adjusted OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58–0.89). Moreover, the protective effect was more pronounced in males compared with females.Conclusion: This cohort study reveals that gout patients taking benzbromarone are at a decreased risk of developing incident dementia, especially with longer use and in male. Further prospective trials are warranted to confirm our findings.

Association between acid‐suppressive drug use and atopic dermatitis in patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases: A population‐based retrospective cohort study

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) are two of the most widely used acid-suppressive drugs (ASDs). Some studies have reported that prenatal ASD exposure may increase the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases. This study investigated the effects of ASDs on the risk of atopic dermatitis in patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases. This population-based retrospective cohort study used data of 289,850 patients with at least two diagnoses of upper gastrointestinal diseases (UGIDs) between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2005, from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. The AD risks among ASD users and nonusers were compared. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics and potential covariates were examined. AD hazard ratios were estimated, and groups were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex and other covariates. In total, 109,980 patients were included. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of AD risk in ASD users relative to that in nonusers was 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-1.64, p<0.001). For a dose-effect sub-analysis, patients were divided into four groups based on their defined daily dose. ASDs dose-dependently affected the AD risk (p for trend <0.01). Furthermore, the adjusted HR of the AD risk among ASD nonusers was 2.30 (95% CI: 2.06-2.57) relative to that in the comparison group (ASD nonusers without UGIDs). Among patients with UGIDs, ASD users had a higher AD risk than ASD nonusers. A subgroup analysis revealed only H2RA use was associated with an increased AD risk (adjusted HR 1.70, 95% CI: 1.53-1.89, p<0.001). These results indicate that the use of H2RAs was associated with an increased risk of AD among patients with UGIDs, and the increase in risk appeared to be dose-dependent. ASDs should be used only in situations where clear clinical benefits can be obtained.

Methylphenidate and TBI in ADHD and co-occurring epilepsy and mental disorders: a self-controlled case series study.

It is suggested that medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) links to lower risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Little is known about whether the beneficial effect of methylphenidate is persistent in individuals with other comorbid mental disorders and epilepsy. We identified 90,634 participants who were less than 18years old and diagnosed with ADHD from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2013. Cox proportional hazards models with hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval were conducted to compare the risks of TBI event between groups of ADHD-only and ADHD with co-occurring other mental disorders. Within-individual comparisons using a self-controlled case series study design were conducted using conditional Poisson regression models with relative incidence (RR) and 95% CI to examine the effect of methylphenidate on TBI with adjustment for medication of psychotropics and anticonvulsants. For children and adolescents with ADHD, we found comorbid mental disorders and epilepsy increase the risk of TBI, with HRs ranged from 1.21 to 1.75. For the effect of MPH, we found reduced risks for TBI in ADHD (RR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.70-0.98). Similar results were found among individuals with co-occurring oppositional defiant disorders or conduct disorder, MDD, tic disorders and epilepsy. Methylphenidate treatment was linked to lower risk for TBI in patients with ADHD and the inverse association was persistent among those with other comorbid mental disorders and epilepsy.

Increased risk of valvular heart disease in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a nationwide population-based longitudinal cohort study.

Aims:We aimed to evaluate the risk of valvular heart disease (VHD) among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods:This was a population-based cohort study utilizing the Longitudinal Health Insurance Research Database of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan. Patients with and without coding of newly diagnosed AS from 1999 to 2013 were assigned to the AS and non-AS groups, respectively. Primary outcome was the incidental risk of VHD. Multiple Cox regression was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio of VHD. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity tests were also conducted.Results:The AS group included 3780 patients, and 22,680 matched subjects without an AS diagnosis were identified as controls. The AS group had an increased risk of VHD compared with non-AS controls (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.63; 95% confidence interval: 1.43–1.86; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis also revealed an increased risk of individual types of VHD, including aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve disease. Patients in the AS group had a higher incidence of valve replacement surgery after the onset of VHD.Conclusion:Patients with AS had a significant risk of VHD compared to non-AS controls in this population-based cohort study. Screening for VHD may be needed in caring patients with AS. We suggest that echocardiography may be performed when patients are diagnosed with AS.

Validation of ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes for Identification of Patients with Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke in a National Health Insurance Claims Database.

PurposeThe performance of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for identifying acute hemorrhagic stroke in Taiwan’s National Health Insurance claims database has not been assessed. This study aimed to construct and validate the case definitions for acute hemorrhagic stroke based on ICD-10-CM diagnostic codes.Patients and MethodsFrom January 2018 to December 2019, all inpatient records with ICD-10-CM code of I60 or I61 in any field of the discharge diagnoses were retrieved from the hospitalization claims data and all hospitalizations with a final diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) were identified from the stroke registry databases. The clinical diagnosis in the stroke registry was treated as the reference standard. For hospitalizations not recorded in the stroke registry, manual review of the medical records and images was done to ascertain the diagnosis. The positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity of various case definitions for acute hemorrhagic stroke were estimated.ResultsAmong the 983 hospitalizations, 860, 111, and 12 were determined to be true-positive, false-positive, and false-negative episodes of acute hemorrhagic stroke, respectively. The PPV and sensitivity of the ICD-10-CM codes of I60 or I61 for identifying acute hemorrhagic stroke were 88.6% and 98.6%, respectively. The PPV increased to 98.2%, whereas the sensitivity decreased to 93.1% when acute hemorrhagic stroke was defined as hospitalizations in which the primary diagnosis field contained I60 or I61. Hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic stroke and concomitant cerebrovascular diseases other than SAH or ICH were the main reasons for a false-positive and false-negative diagnosis of acute hemorrhagic stroke, respectively.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the performance of ICD-10-CM codes for identifying acute hemorrhagic stroke and may offer a reference for future claims-based stroke studies.

Association of psychiatric comorbidities with the risk of transport accidents in ADHD and MPH.

Although the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and transport accidents has been shown, there is limited information on the relationship between medication and dose-response effects and transport accident risk. This study aims to determine whether young people with ADHD, including adolescents, are more prone to transport accidents than those without, and the extent to which methylphenidate (MPH) prescription in these patients reduces the risk. We identified 114 486 patients diagnosed with ADHD from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 1997 to 2013. Using a Cox regression model, we compared the risk of transport accidents between ADHD and non-ADHD groups and estimated the effect of MPH on accidents. Furthermore, we applied a self-control case-series analysis to compare the risk of accidents during the medication periods with the same patients' non-medication periods. Male ADHD patients had a higher risk of transport accidents than non-ADHD individuals (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.24, [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.39]), especially for those comorbid with epilepsy, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD), and intellectual disabilities (ID). Female ADHD patients showed no relationship, except for comorbid with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or ID. We found a reduced risk of transport accidents in patients with ADHD with MPH medication than those without MPH, with a plausible dose-response relationship (aHR of 0.23 to 0.07). A similar pattern was found in self-controlled case-series analysis. Male patients with ADHD, especially those comorbid with epilepsy, ODD/CD, or ID, were at high risk of transport accidents. Female patients, when comorbid with ASD or ID, also exhibited a higher risk of accidents. MPH treatment lowered the accident risk with a dose-response relationship.

Snare Tip Is an Alternative Tool for Colorectal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

Colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection is typically performed by specialized knife, such as a dual knife. However, it is not covered by Taiwan's National Health Insurance. In the literature review, using a traditional snare tip for endoscopic submucosal dissection has been reported for stomach lesions only. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection using a snare tip. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical using of a snare tip compared with a dual knife for colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection. Postoperative short- and long-term outcomes were investigated after the procedure. This study was conducted at a single tertiary care institution. Patients who could not afford the expense of a specialized knife were included. Dissection time, dissection speed, and perioperative complications were used for short-term outcome measurement. Recurrence-free rate was used for long-term outcome measurement. Twenty-one lesions were in the snare tip group and 57 lesions in the dual knife group. The outcomes, including rate of en bloc resection, complication, local recurrence, and recurrence-free interval, between the 2 groups were similar. The mean resected specimen diameter in the dual knife group is larger than the snare tip group (p = 0.041). The dissection time of the snare tip group was shorter than the dual knife group (p = 0.025). However, the dissection speed was significantly slower in the snare tip group than in the dual knife group (p = 0.008). This study was a retrospective and single doctor chart review in nature with a limited patient number. The snare tip is an alternative tool for colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection in a selected population without the support of specialized knives, such as the dual knife. Although the dissection speed is slower using a snare tip, it is still a recommended technique for developing country or low-income patients.

Implement an International Interoperable PHR by FHIR—A Taiwan Innovative Application

Personal health records (PHRs) have lots of benefits for things such as health surveillance, epidemiological surveillance, self-control, links to various services, public health and health management, and international surveillance. The implementation of an international standard for interoperability is essential to accessing personal health records. In Taiwan, the nationwide exchange platform for electronic medical records (EMRs) has been in use for many years. The Health Level Seven International (HL7) Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) was used as the standard of the EMRs. However, the complication of implementing CDA became a barrier for many hospitals to realize the standard EMRs. In this study, we implemented a Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)-based PHR transformation process including a user interface module to review the contents of PHRs. We used “My Health Bank, MHB”, a PHR data book developed and issued to all people by the Taiwan National Health Insurance, as the PHRs contents in this study. Network Time Protocol (NTP)/Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) was used in the security and user authentication mechanism when processing and applying personal health information. Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 (such as HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) was used for protection in data communication. User authentication is important in the platform. OAuth (OAuth 2.0) was used as a user authentication mechanism to confirm legitimate user access to ensure data security. The contents of MHB were analyzed and mapped to the FHIR, and then converted to FHIR format according to the mapping logic template. The function of format conversion was carried out by using ASP.NET. XPath and JSPath technologies filtered out specific information tags. The converted data structure was verified through an HL7 Application Programming Interface (HAPI) server, and a new JSON file was finally created. This platform can not only capture any PHR based on the FHIR format but also publish FHIR-based MHB records to any other platform to bridge the interoperability gap between different PHR systems. Therefore, our implementation/application with the automatic transformation from MHB to FHIR format provides an innovative method for people to access their own PHRs (MHB). No one has published a similar application like us using a nationwide PHR standard, MHB, in Taiwan. The application we developed will be very useful for a single person to use or for other system developers to implement their own standard PHR software.

Incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease and coinfection with tuberculosis in a tuberculosis-endemic region: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection may interfere in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in TB-endemic regions. However, the population-based incidence of NTM disease and NTM–TB coinfection remains unclear.We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to identify new diagnoses of NTM disease and TB from 2005 to 2013 and calculated the incidence rate and the proportion of NTM–TB coinfection. The patients with NTM disease or TB were determined by the use of disease codes from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, laboratory mycobacterium examination codes, and antimycobacterial therapy receipts.From 2005 to 2013, the age-adjusted incidence rate of NTM disease increased from 5.3 to 14.8 per 100,000 people per year and the age-adjusted incidence rate of NTM–TB coinfection was around 1.2 to 2.2 per 100,000 people per year. The proportion of NTM–TB coinfection among patients with confirmed TB was 2.8%. Male and older patients had a significantly higher incidence of NTM disease. The effects of urbanization and socioeconomic status (SES) on the incidences of TB and NTM disease were different. Rural living and lower SES were significantly associated with increasing the incidence of confirmed TB but not with that of NTM disease. For NTM disease, those living in the least urbanized area had significantly lower incidence rate ratio than in the highest urbanized area. The incidence of NTM–TB coinfection was higher in older patients and compared with patients aged < 45 years, the incidence rate ratio of the patients aged> 74 years was 12.5.In TB-endemic Taiwan, the incidence of NTM disease increased from 2005 to 2013. Male gender and old age were risk factors for high incidence of NTM disease. SES did not have a significant effect on the incidence of NTM disease, but rural living was associated with lower incidence of NTM disease. In TB-endemic areas, NTM–TB coinfection could disturb the diagnosis of TB and treatment, especially in elderly patients.